AusBonsai

Hi everyone!



Yesterday I received a HUGE Ficus microcarpa from a friend down south. The tree stands two feet tall, has a two foot canopy, and has a base of 8 inches. I repotted it today as it was in dire need of a repot. I'm currently building a grow box for it. Once I finish it it will go inside. Comments welcome!

Wowza, that is a hefty sized trunk and a great start. Please keep us in the loop.

Nice material to work with !!!

Awesome Trunk
What are the plans for it in the next few years, any idea?

Ken

Love that trunk!!! Plenty of fun to be had there!!

John

Hey Ficus Guy.
That is a good piece of stock that you have there. Looks like a good compact fibrous root system and a good base and lower trunk. Sure looks healthy and come spring it will shoot away like a beauty.What you will need to think about now though is what you are going to do with it! from me would be to bring the tree down a lot more and go for the classic broad mushroom shape of the fig. I would like to lower that centre very upright trunk, maybe shorten it by half.So it comes back to the old feed and prune, feed and prune and get some shape going. Nice stock, should get a good bonsai out of this. Have fun,Dark1

Thanks everyone!


I don't have any plans for it as of right now, I just plan on letting it grow and feeding it. I would like for it to start to bud down lower, so that will be a goal. I'll then go for something like dark1 suggests.

Someone on another forum made this virt: I made this virt: IMO, mine gives the tree better taper, but I think the other gives more base. Comments anyone??

I think I'm partial to the one with the blue background though, as it gives the impression of an older, larger tree.

And here is what the tree could look like defoliated, if I go with the first virt (I just made this one):

What a great tree to be 'given'. Awesome trunk to work with.

Your virt and the first one are the same styling, just more branching on the first one.

I would avoid having the longest branch on the opposite side of the direction on a gentle tree like this one. I think it should be longer on the left to give it better direction and balance, and more rounded like your last virt.

Spring will bring much fun with the new branches to choose. Look forward to seeing more of this FG.

Tony

Tony Bebb wrote:What a great tree to be 'given'. Awesome trunk to work with.

Your virt and the first one are the same styling, just more branching on the first one.

I would avoid having the longest branch on the opposite side of the direction on a gentle tree like this one. I think it should be longer on the left to give it better direction and balance, and more rounded like your last virt.

Spring will bring much fun with the new branches to choose. Look forward to seeing more of this FG.

Tony

Thanks Tony!

I see what you're saying about which side to place the branches, I'll fix that in my next virt. Since I'm currently in summer, first official day was yesterday, I could probably get away with cutting the branches back hard to work on a canopy.

I removed that right branch. Maybe more like this?

Much nicer the lst virt, but the 3rd branch on the left must be the longes to give and apex there

will be a nice tree
Ken

kcpoole wrote:Much nicer the lst virt, but the 3rd branch on the left must be the longes to give and apex there

will be a nice tree
Ken

Ah, good point, I'll fix that.